The Well of Ascension is the second novel in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy. It continues shortly after the point where the first left off, The Lord Ruler vanquished and a fledgling parliament taking shape under the oversight of Elend Venture.

The city of Luthadel, now ruled by King Elend, faces a multitude of problems in the aftermath of the recent revolution. It becomes besieged by the armies of three warlords, seeking the hidden riches of the Lord Ruler as well as an easy land grab. Vin and Elend have their work cut out for them, fighting to keep the parliament from selling the city out to the warlords while avoiding assassination attempts. Meanwhile, the mysterious evil known as the Deepness has returned…

The Well of Ascension is a solid follow-up to its predecessor, providing plenty of plot exposition and character development.